At least 16 people were killed and six others injured after a passenger van crashed into a parked bus on the Swat Expressway, also known as the M-16 Motorway, according to the Motorway Police.
Officials said the bus was travelling from Karachi to Buner and had been parked along the roadside when a van coming from Rawalpindi to Dir slammed into it from behind. The collision left the van badly damaged.
Rescue teams and Motorway Police rushed to the site after the accident was reported and shifted the bodies and injured passengers to Mardan Medical Complex.
Authorities said the deceased included men, women, elderly people, and children, underlining the scale of the tragedy.
Initial findings suggest the crash may have been caused by negligence and reckless driving on the part of the van driver. However, officials said a further investigation is underway to determine the exact circumstances of the accident.
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Information Minister Shafi Jan also expressed grief over the loss of life. In his statement, he offered condolences to the families of the victims and called the incident extremely tragic.
He said the injured were being given the best possible medical treatment and added that the provincial government stands with the affected families in this difficult time.
The deadly crash is the latest reminder of the dangers posed by overspeeding, poor road safety practices, and collisions involving stopped vehicles on major highways.
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